Parental entries on hearing in Child Health and Development record: How reliable in early detection of paediatric hearing loss?

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of parental entries regarding functional hearing in the Child Health and Development Record(CHDR), in patients with severe to profound hearing loss, and detection of the hearing issues by the public health midwife(PHM).

Material and Method: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out among parents/caregivers of children with severe to profound hearing loss who underwent cochlear implantation before the age of 5 years from  01.01.2017 to  31.12. 2018 at Lady Ridgeway hospital for children, Sri Lanka. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used based on the hearing assessment in CHDR.

Results: The age of the mother at the birth of the index child spans from 17years to 50 years. Majority( 64.1% ) had another child older to the index child. The majority were diagnosed between 18-24 months. The age of cochlear implantation spans from 9 months upto 5 years. Average waiting period was 2 years. The correct entries were observed as follows: 20.8% at birth, 22.7% at 1 month and 22.6% at 4 months, 7 months, 9 months and 12 months respectively. Among those who have not marked or marked incorrectly, 45.9% stated that they couldn't recognise the hearing impairment and 23.4% stated they were reluctant to accept it. Only 4% of these children were referred for further assessment by the PHM.

Conclusion: Parental and the PHM’s assessment of a child’s hearing is not a reliable indicator to detect early sensorineural deafness.